Lincoln, Conservatism, and Liberalism

[WillK]

People often say that the Republican Party got away from being "The Party of Lincoln" when it was taken over by Conservatism. My question is: "How was Lincoln Liberal?" I have virtually no knowledge of his policies outside of slavery and tarrifs, so I would appreciate input.

Lincoln and the Republicans of the 1800s advocated a positive role for government in promoting economic development, civil rights, labor, education, agriculture, ect.  

Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture to support farmers; the Comptroller of the Currency to regulate bankers; and signed the Morrill Land Grant College Act, which donated federal land to states for the building of colleges.  

[WillK]

I went to his wikipedia page, and to my surprise I saw the only political experience he had before President was one term in the US House of Representatives. I had always assumed he was a Senator.

He ran for the Senate but lost.  He also served in the Illinois legislature for several years. 

[WillK]

Also, how were the Democrats different? Were they the more Conservative party?

I think so. 

Consider that the 1856 Democratic platform declared that the federal government should not fund any infrastructure improvement projects, that no federal land or money should be allocated to the states for any purpose, that rigid economy must be used in government, taxes/tariffs lowered, no banking regulation, and no federal interference with slavery.

[WillK]

Another thing to consider.    When the European revolutions of 1848 failed, radicals immigrated to the US to escape persecution in Europe.  These radicals became part of the Republican party in the 1850s.

For examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Willich
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Weydemeyer

[WillK]

... Though it should be noted that the Populist movement arised from within that very same Democratic coalition, and so did sometimes Progressive Woodrow Wilson, a southerner and racist.

As was well said earlier ...

This is where ideological labels become difficult.

Is Populism liberal?

[WillK]

From Lincoln's first annual message to Congress:

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Lincoln would be a very conservative Republican today.

Those quotes that don't sound conservative to me at all.    The first one sounds like a statement of someone trying to win the support of the AFL-CIO.   The second one reminds me of  the Clinton-Gore National Performance Review.

[WillK]

From Lincoln's first annual message to Congress:

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That, whiel ti can sound Conservative in one light, could sound Populist in another. It depends on who he's referring to. If he's referring to the welfare state, then yes it is Conservative. However, if he's referring to the bankers, the bosses, and the employers, it is Populist (or at least by my definition).

He was writing about the conflict between capital and labor.  When he wrote "others, without labor, have enjoyed a larger proportion of the fruits" he is referring to employers, bankers, etc.